Heat dissipation mechanism

ABSTRACT

A heat dissipation mechanism includes at least one fixing member and at least one heat pipe. The heat pipe has a heat-dissipation section and a heat-absorption section bearing on one face of the fixing member. The fixing member includes a plurality of clamp sections protruded from two axially opposite edges of the fixing member. The clamp sections respectively define a receiving space, and the heat-absorption section has a plurality of connecting segments received in the receiving spaces, so that the heat pipe is connected to the fixing member via the clamp sections to form an integral unit. With these arrangements, the heat dissipation mechanism can have effectively increased heat transfer efficiency and be manufactured at reduced cost.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a heat dissipation mechanism, and more particularly to a heat dissipation mechanism that has increased heat transfer efficiency and can be manufactured at reduced cost.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The progress in semiconductor technology enables various integrated circuits (ICs) to have gradually reduced volume. For the purpose of processing more data, the number of electronic components provided on the presently available ICs is several times higher than that on the conventional ICs of the same volume. When the number of electronic components on the ICs increases, the heat generated by the electronic components during the operation thereof also increases. For example, the heat generated by a central processing unit (CPU) at full-load condition is high enough to burn out the whole CPU. Such heat must be timely removed, lest the electronic components should become disordered or damaged, such as burnt out. Thus, it is always a very important issue in the computer-related fields to properly provide a thermal module for ICs.

The conventional thermal modules usually remove the heat generated by the CPU through heat transfer. FIG. 1 is an assembled perspective view of a conventional thermal module, which includes a base 10, a heat pipe 12 and a radiating fin assembly 14. The base 10 is made of a copper material and has a first side 101 and an opposite second side 102. A through hole 103 is formed on the base 10 to extend between and in parallel with the first and the second side 101, 102, so that an end of the heat pipe 12 can be extended into and fixedly held in the through hole 103. The second side 102 of the base 10 is in contact with a heat-generating element 16, such as a CPU, a south-bridge and north-bridge chip set or the like, mainly for absorbing the heat generated by the heat-generating element 16 and transferring the absorbed heat to the heat pipe 12 held in the through hole 103.

The heat pipe 12 has a heat-absorption section 121 and a heat-dissipation section 123. The heat-absorption section 121 is also the end of the heat pipe 12 received in the through hole 103 of the base 10. The heat-absorption section 121 can be welded to or tight-fitted in the through hole 103 of the base 10 to thereby form an integral part of the base 10. The heat-dissipation section 123 is connected to the radiating fin assembly 14. The heat generated by the heat-generating element 16 is absorbed by the second side 102 of the base 10 and then transferred to the heat-absorption section 121 of the heat pipe 12 received in the through hole 103. The heat-absorption section 121 further transfers the heat from the base 10 to the radiating fin assembly 14 connected to the heat-dissipation section 123 of the heat pipe 12 to thereby achieve the purpose of dissipating heat into ambient air.

However, while the above-structured thermal module is able to dissipate the heat generated by the heat-generating element 16, it provides only relatively low heat dissipation effect. This is because, according to the above-described structure of the conventional thermal module, the heat from the heat-generating element 16 must be first transferred to the base 10 before it is further transferred to the radiating fin assembly 14 on the heat pipe 12. Thus, the conventional thermal module defines a relatively long heat transfer path and thermal resistance tends to occur in the long course of heat transfer, bringing the thermal module to have poor overall heat transfer efficiency and accordingly, poor heat dissipation effect.

Moreover, in manufacturing the conventional thermal module, either a large quantity of tin material must be used to fixedly weld the heat pipe 12 to the base 10, or the heat pipe 12 is subject to damage or breaking in the process of tight-fitting the heat pipe 12 in the through hole 103 to thereby increase the time, labor and material costs of the conventional thermal module. To lower the overall manufacturing cost of the conventional thermal module, some of the manufacturers change the copper base to an aluminum base and coat a layer of metal material on the aluminum base by way of electric plating. The heat pipe is then welded to the metal-coated aluminum base.

The low-cost aluminum base has a serious problem of largely reduced heat absorption effect compared to the copper base. As a result, the thermal module with an aluminum base has reduced overall heat dissipation effect.

In brief, the conventional thermal module has the following disadvantages: (1) poor heat transfer efficiency; (2) increased labor, time and material costs; and (3) poor heat dissipation effect.

It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop an improved heat dissipation mechanism to overcome the problems in the prior art thermal module.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a heat dissipation mechanism that includes at least one heat pipe and at least one fixing member connected to one another to form an integral unit, and therefore has effectively reduced thermal resistance and increased heat transfer efficiency, and can be manufactured at reduced cost.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a heat dissipation mechanism that can be manufactured at reduced cost.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a heat dissipation mechanism that can be manufactured with shortened time.

To achieve the above and other objects, the heat dissipation mechanism according to the present invention includes at least one fixing member and at least one heat pipe.

The fixing member includes a plurality of clamp sections extended from two axially opposite edges of the fixing member, and the clamp sections respectively define a receiving space. The heat pipe has a heat-dissipation section and a heat-absorption section bearing on one face of the fixing member, and the heat-absorption section has a plurality of connecting segments received in the receiving spaces defined by the clamp sections on the fixing member, so that the heat pipe and the fixing member are connected to each other via the clamp sections to form an integral unit. With these arrangements, the heat-absorption section of the heat pipe is able to directly absorb heat generated from a heat source and transfers the absorbed heat to the heat-dissipation section to reduce possible thermal resistance, so that the heat dissipation mechanism can have effectively increased heat transfer efficiency and be manufactured at reduced cost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional thermal module;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of a heat dissipation mechanism according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3A is an assembled view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3B is a sectioned perspective view of the heat dissipation mechanism according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3C is a fragmentary perspective view of a variant of the heat dissipation mechanism according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3D is a fragmentary perspective view of another variant of the heat dissipation mechanism according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3E is a sectioned perspective view of a further variant of the heat dissipation mechanism according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the use of the heat dissipation mechanism according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a heat dissipation mechanism according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6A is a fragmentary perspective view of a heat dissipation mechanism according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6B is a fragmentary perspective view of a first variant of the heat dissipation mechanism according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7A is a fragmentary perspective view of a second variant of the heat dissipation mechanism according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7B is a sectioned perspective view of FIG. 7A; and

FIG. 7C is a fragmentary perspective view of a third variant of the heat dissipation mechanism according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will now be described with some preferred embodiments thereof and with reference to the accompanying drawings. For the purpose of easy to understand, elements that are the same in the preferred embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals.

Please refer to FIGS. 2, 3A and 4, in which a heat dissipation mechanism according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. As shown, the heat dissipation mechanism in the first preferred embodiment includes at least one heat pipe 2 and at least one fixing member 3. The heat pipe 2 has a heat-absorption section 21 and a heat-dissipation section 23 outward extended from the heat-absorption section 21. The heat-absorption section 21 bears on one face of the fixing member 3, and has a first, a second, a third, and a fourth heat-absorption surface 211, 212, 213 and 214. The second heat-absorption surface 212 is located opposite to the fourth heat-absorption surface 214, and the first heat-absorption surface 211 is located opposite to the third heat-absorption surface 213 to contact with a heat-generating element 5, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a south-bridge and north-bridge chip set, or other heat source, for directly absorbing heat generated by the heat-generating element 5. The absorbed heat is quickly transferred from the heat-absorption section 21 to at least one radiating fin assembly 6 connected to and extended through by the heat-dissipation section 23. The radiating fin assembly 6 provides large contact surfaces to efficiently exchange heat with ambient air. With these arrangements, it is possible to effectively reduce thermal resistance and obtain increased heat transfer efficiency. In the first preferred embodiment, the first, second, third and fourth heat-absorption surfaces 211, 212, 213 and 214 together define the heat-absorption section 21.

The fixing member 3 has a first face 31, a second face 32, and a plurality of clamp sections 33. The first face 31 is located opposite to the second face 32, and is in full contact with the third heat-absorption surface 213 of the heat-absorption section 21. The heat-absorption section 21 has a plurality of connecting segments 217 (see FIG. 3A) located corresponding to the plurality of clamp sections 33 of the fixing member 3.

Please refer to FIG. 3B along with FIG. 2. The clamp sections 33 are outward protruded from two axially opposite edges of the fixing member 3. Each of the clamp sections 33 includes a base portion 330, a first arm portion 331, a second arm portion 334, and a receiving space 34. The base portion 330 has a top flush with the first face 31 of the fixing member 3 and is adapted to fitly contact with the third heat-absorption surface 213 of the heat pipe 2.

The first arm portion 331 and the second arm portion 334 are extended from two opposite lateral edges of the base portion 330, such that the first and second arm portions 331, 334 and the base portion 330 together define the receiving space 34 in between them. The connecting segments 217 on the heat-absorption section 21 of the heat pipe 2 are received in the receiving spaces 34 and firmly clamped by between the corresponding first and second arm portions 331, 334 of the clamp sections 33, so that the heat pipe 2 is immovably connected to the fixing member 3. More specifically, at each of the clamp sections 33, the first and the second arm portion 331, 334 are bent toward each other to fitly bear on the first, second and fourth heat-absorption surfaces 211, 212, 214 of the corresponding connecting segment 217, so that the heat pipe 2 and the fixing member 3 are connected to each other via the clamp sections 33 to form an integral unit.

The first and the second arm portion 331, 334 on each of the clamp sections 33 have a first and a second free end 332, 335, respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, the first free end 332 and the second free end 335 are faced toward and in contact with each other. In the first preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 3A, the first and the second arm portions 331, 334 are substantially rectangular in shape without being limited thereto. In practical implementation of the present invention, the first and the second arm portions 331, 334 can be otherwise substantially triangular in shape, as shown in FIG. 3C, or substantially semicircular in shape (not shown), or in other suitable shapes.

The fixing member 3 is further provided near a pair of two opposite edges or on four corners with a plurality of mounting holes 35, via which corresponding fastening elements, such as screws (not shown), may be extended to fix the fixing member 3 to a circuit board (not shown).

According to the present invention, the heat pipe 2 and the fixing member 3 are connected to form an integral unit; and the heat-absorption section 21 of the heat pipe 2 absorbs and transfers heat to the radiating fin assembly 6 at the heat-dissipation section 23 for quickly dissipating the heat into ambient air. With this design, it is possible to effectively reduce thermal resistance to obtain increased overall heat transfer efficiency and achieve excellent heat dissipation effect at reduced manufacturing cost.

Please refer to FIG. 3D that is a fragmentary perspective view of another variant of the heat dissipation mechanism according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. In this variant, the fixing member 3 further includes at least one pair of retaining ribs 36. The retaining ribs 36 are upward extended from the first face 31 of the fixing member 3 to tightly bear on the second and the fourth heat-absorption surface 212, 214 of the heat-absorption section 21 of the heat pipe 2, forming an effective auxiliary means to hold the heat-absorption section 21 in place on the fixing member 3.

FIG. 3E is a sectioned perspective view of a further variant of the heat dissipation mechanism according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. In this variant, the fixing member 3 is provided on the first face 31 with an axially extended recess 37 for receiving the heat-absorption section 21 of the heat pipe 2 therein. The recess 37 also forms an effective auxiliary means to hold the heat-absorption section 21 in place on the fixing member 3.

Please refer to FIG. 5 that is a fragmentary perspective view of a heat dissipation mechanism according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. The second preferred embodiment is generally structurally similar to the first preferred embodiment, except that, in the second preferred embodiment, the fixing member 3 has a plurality of clamp sections 33, which respectively includes a base portion 330 located perpendicular to the first face 31 of the fixing member 3 to bear on the second heat-absorption surface 212 of the heat-absorption section 21, and a first and a second arm portion 331, 334 laterally extending from an upper and a lower edge of the base portion 330. In other words, in the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first and second arm portions 331, 334 are extended from the base portion 330 in a direction crossing the heat pipe 2 and bent toward each other to fitly bear on the first, third and fourth heat-absorption surfaces 211, 213, 214, so that the heat-absorption section 21 of the heat pipe 2 is connected to the fixing member 3 via the clamp sections 33.

In implementing the second embodiment of the present invention, the base portion 330 may be otherwise bearing on the fourth heat-absorption surface 214 with the first and second arm portions 331, 334 bearing on the first, second and third heat-absorption surfaces 211, 212, 213 of the corresponding connecting segment 217 to hold the heat-absorption section 21 to the fixing member 3.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are fragmentary perspective views of a heat dissipation mechanism according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention and a first variant thereof, respectively. The third preferred embodiment is generally structurally similar to the first preferred embodiment, except that, in the third preferred embodiment, the fixing member 3 is further provided at four corners with a radially outward extended support section 38 each. Alternatively, as the first variant shown in FIG. 6B, the support sections 38 may be axially outward extended from the four corners of the fixing member 3.

In the third preferred embodiment and the first variant thereof, the mounting holes 35 are formed on the support sections 38 for corresponding fastening elements, such as screws (not shown), to extend therethrough and fixedly mount the fixing member 3 to a circuit board (not shown).

FIGS. 7A and 7B are fragmentary perspective view and sectioned perspective view, respectively, of a second variant of the heat dissipation mechanism according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 7C is a fragmentary perspective view of a third variant similar to the first variant of the heat dissipation mechanism according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the second and the third variant of the third preferred embodiment, an extension portion 39 is extended between each of the base portions 330 and one of the two axially opposite edges of the fixing member 3 to also bear on the third heat-absorption surface 213 of the heat-absorption section 21 of the heat pipe 2.

In practical implementation of the present invention, the extension sections 39 may respectively have an extending length determined in advance according to, for example, the area or size, the quantity and the spatial position of the heat-generating element 5, as shown in FIG. 4.

Therefore, with the structural design of the present invention, it is able to effectively reduce thermal resistance to obtain increased heat transfer efficiency and achieve excellent heat dissipation effect. Further, the heat dissipation mechanism of the present invention can be manufactured simply by assembling the fixing member 3 and the heat pipe 2 to each other, allowing a largely simplified manufacturing process to enable effectively reduced time, labor, and manufacturing costs.

In conclusion, the heat dissipation mechanism according to the present invention has the following advantages: (1) good heat transfer efficiency; (2) good heat dissipation effect; (3) shortened manufacturing time; and (4) reduced manufacturing costs.

The present invention has been described with some preferred embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims. 

1. A heat dissipation mechanism, comprising: at least one fixing member having a plurality of clamp sections outward protruded from two axially opposite edges of the fixing member; and each of the clamp sections defining a receiving space therein; and at least one heat pipe having a heat-absorption section and a heat-dissipation section; and the heat-absorption section being bearing on one face of the fixing member and having a plurality of connecting segments correspondingly received in the receiving spaces of the clamp sections of the fixing member, so that the heat pipe and the fixing member are connected to each other via the clamp sections to form an integral unit.
 2. The heat dissipation mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixing member has a first face and an opposite second face.
 3. The heat dissipation mechanism as claimed in claim 2, wherein the heat-absorption section of the heat pipe has a first, a second, a third and a fourth heat-absorption surface; the second heat-absorption surface being located opposite to the fourth heat-absorption surface, and the third heat-absorption surface being located opposite to the first heat-absorption surface and bearing on the first face of the fixing member.
 4. The heat dissipation mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of the clamp sections of the fixing member includes a base portion, a first arm portion, and a second arm portion; the base portion having a top flush with the first face of the fixing member for bearing on the third heat-absorption surface of the heat pipe; and the first and the second arm portion being outward extended from two opposite lateral edges of the base portion and bent toward each other to bear on the first, the second and the fourth heat-absorption surface of the corresponding connecting segment on the heat-absorption section of the heat pipe, so as to hold the heat pipe to the fixing member.
 5. The heat dissipation mechanism as claimed in claim 4, wherein the fixing member further includes a plurality of extension sections respectively extended between the base portions and the two axially opposite edges of the fixing member, and the extension sections being bearing on the third heat-absorption surface of the heat-absorption section of the heat pipe.
 6. The heat dissipation mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of the clamp sections of the fixing member includes a base portion, a first arm portion, and a second arm portion; the base portion being located perpendicular to the first face of the fixing member; and the first and the second arm portion being outward extended from upper and lower edges of the base portion and bent toward each other to bear on the first, the third and the fourth heat-absorption surface of the corresponding connecting segment on the heat-absorption section of the heat pipe, so as to hold the heat pipe to the fixing member.
 7. The heat dissipation mechanism as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first and the second arm portion have a first and a second free end, respectively; and the first free end being faced toward and in contact with the second free end.
 8. The heat dissipation mechanism as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first and the second arm portion have a first and a second free end, respectively; and the first free end being faced toward and in contact with the second free end.
 9. The heat dissipation mechanism as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first and the second free end respectively have a shape selected from the group consisting of a semicircular shape, a triangular shape, a rectangular shape, and any other geometrical shape.
 10. The heat dissipation mechanism as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first and the second free end respectively have a shape selected from the group consisting of a semicircular shape, a triangular shape, a rectangular shape, and any other geometrical shape.
 11. The heat dissipation mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixing member is provided near a pair of two opposite edges or four corners with a plurality of mounting holes, via which corresponding fastening elements are extended to mount the fixing member to a predetermined location.
 12. The heat dissipation mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixing member further includes a plurality of support sections outward extended from four corners of the fixing member, and a plurality of mounting holes formed on the support sections, such that corresponding fastening elements can be extended through the mounting holes to mount the fixing member to a predetermined location.
 13. The heat dissipation mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein the fixing member further includes at least one pair of retaining ribs upward extended from the first face of the fixing member to tightly bear on the second and the fourth heat-absorption surface of the heat-absorption section of the heat pipe.
 14. The heat dissipation mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first heat-absorption surface is in contact with a heat-generating element to directly absorb heat generated by the heat-generating element.
 15. The heat dissipation mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat-dissipation section is connected to and extended through at least an radiating fin assembly.
 16. The heat dissipation mechanism as claimed in claim 2, wherein the fixing member is provided on the first face with a recess, in which the heat-absorption section of the heat pipe is received. 